D.C. textbook chief appealed firing

The D.C. Public Schools’ textbook manager whose department came under scrutiny this summer was fired from his position nearly a decade ago but reinstated after reaching a settlement with the school system.

The Washington Times reported last month that Donald Winstead, the lone manager of the school system’s often-troubled textbook department, was fired by former schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman in 1998 after books were not delivered in a timely manner.

Documents obtained by The Times show that Mr. Winstead was reinstated in his position Dec. 19, 2000, following a settlement reached a day earlier between Mr. Winstead and the school system through the D.C. Office of Employee Appeals.

According to the settlement — which was overseen by Administrative Judge Sheryl Sears — the school system agreed to “rehire [Mr. Winstead] and appoint him to the position of textbook manager.”

The documents also say that the school system agreed to “remove all evidence” of Mr. Winstead’s firing from its records within 15 days, including an adverse action letter dated June 10, 1998, and the “final agency determination dated Feb. 5, 1999.” Officials have said privately that a number of key documents are missing from Mr. Winstead’s personnel file.

The settlement also stipulates that the school system would pay Mr. Winstead a salary of $53,452 and give him an additional lump sum that would be subject to federal and state income taxes.

The amount of the additional money paid to Mr. Winstead could not be exactly determined from the documents. But payroll records show that he earned a gross salary of $83,453.91 while working for the school system in 2001. In 2002, his wages were $52,627.14.

Mr. Winstead, who has worked for the District since 1970 and for the school system since 1979, has declined to comment on his employment history.

“My record is clean,” Mr. Winstead said when reached by a reporter last month.

The news of his previous firing coincided with schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee’s consultation with D.C. Council members about granting her authority to fire hundreds of employees in the school system’s central office.

The chancellor could have an internal draft of her proposal prepared as early as this week, officials said.

In a statement yesterday, Mrs. Rhee repeated that she is taking a close look at the school system’s personnel — an evaluation that Rhee spokeswoman Mafara Hobson said will include Mr. Winstead’s position.

“At this time, my team and I are closely examining all departments and positions within the school system to determine the most effective organizational structure going forward,” Mrs. Rhee said.

Mrs. Ackerman said the decision to fire Mr. Winstead was made after principals who submitted book requisitions in spring did not see their materials arrive by late July and early August.

“We were able to trace the problem back to Mr. Winstead’s failure to process the requisitions,” Mrs. Ackerman told The Times. “He was then fired.”

Mrs. Rhee and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty toured the system’s textbook warehouse in Northeast last month and found stacks of books that had not been delivered to schools. Officials also said a mix-up had resulted in thousands of textbooks being delivered to the wrong schools.

Officials initially estimated that at least half of the District’s more than 140 schools would not have all their required textbooks by the time classes began Aug. 27. They now say that 99 percent of the schools’ core textbook needs have been met.